Pneumatic action



Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH r. ousrarsom or CHICAGO, rumors, nssmnon TO M. SCHULZ com any,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.'16, 1920.

Application filed August 13, 1919. Serial No. 317,124.

, To all whom it may comm.-

, Actions,

Be it known that I, Anonrn P. GUs'rAr- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of'lllinois,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic of whichthe following is a full,

. clear, concise, and exact description, refersame. securing directnessof action, and permitting readyassemblage and adjustment.

60 supported in the piano case and extend once-being had to theaccompanying drawingz. forming a part-of this specification.

I, y invention relates to pneumatic actions, and particularly topneumatic actions for automatic musical instruments, such as pianoplayers, player pianos and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a Anotherobject'of theinvention is to simphfy the construction, and thereby reduce the cost ofmanufacture.

Another object of the invention is to obtain quickness and sensitivenessof operation. I

Anotherobject of the invention is to im prove the valve mechanism,simplifying the and positiveness In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1is a plan view of a pneumatic action embodying my present invention; and

ig. 2 is across section on line 2-2 in '1. e n the drawings I show asection or part 0 a and part of the piano action operated thereby. Thisinvolves a series of pneumatics 1,

swinging leaves provided with 4,5 and 6 on upform part of the pianoaction of the instrument,it being understood that said stickers chest10, which is understood to be suitably I from side to Y w tached byscrews 15 t0 the upperside walls practical and effective construc- .tionof pneumatic action.

Y ports 18 aflord communication the outside air,

Stantially wider than mit free operation of the latter. pneumatic actionof a, player piano,

3. shown mountedin a row, with their projections or clips 1, 2', and 3,adapted for engaging projections or abutments 7 rights or stickers 7, 8and 9. The latter side in the same. This wind. chest 10 has alongitudinally extending wind chamber 11, in which'a condition'ofreduced air pressure is normally main tamed and in this are locatedsmall pneu matlcs or puppets 12, one for each of the pneumatics 1, 2 and3. These puppets 12 act upon the upper ends of prongs or I projections13 secured near the ends of valve members or levers 14 atof thepneumatics 1, 2 and 3. The project10ns 13 extend through openings orport-s 16in the top walls of the pneumatics, and these openings 01'ports 16 are controlled by the adjacent end of the lever14, a layer 17of felt' or other suitable material being provided on the lever 14 tomake a tight joint when the port 16 is closed. Other between thepneumatics 1, 2 and 3, and and are controlled by .the other ends of thelevers 14, layers 19of felt or other material being provided to closeports tightly. Weights 20, conveniently consisting of disks of, lead orother metal, are embedded in the ends of levers 14 controlling ports 18,said weights 20 beingconinteriors of the 'veniently arrangedunderneathfelt layers19.

in position, so that said levers are free to swing up and down to openand close the ports 16 and 18. The levers 14 may be ad- 7 justed byadjusting the screws115.

, Tracker board tubes. 22. one for each pneumatic 1, 2 and 3, are shownconnected :tothe wind chest 10, it being understood that these tubesextend to the tracker board in the usual way. These tubes 22 communicatewith ducts or passages 23. extending, tothe puppets 12. Small chambers24 are formed at points of connection of tubes 22 and ductsv 23 andsmall metal thimbles 25 providingbleeds 26 are fitted in saidchambers24. ,Flat disks 27 are desirably fitted,

over the chambers 24 to substantially close same and keep out dust anddirt, the disks 27 having small apertures 28 to admit air.

In operation, the parts are normally in the positions shown in Fig. 2.When an aperture in the music sheet passes over the port controlling thepneumatic 3, air is admitted in the tube 22 connected with said port,and passing through the same and duct 23 causes expansion of puppet 12.This latter acts upon the prong 13, thereby depressing the end of lever1%, opening port 16 and closing port 18. The opening of port 16 permitsair in pneumatic 3 to be withdrawn into wind chamber 11, therebycollapsing said pneumatic and actuating the piano action sticker 9. Whenthe aforesaid tracker port is closed by end of music sheet aperture, airis shut off from tube 22, permitting same to be collapsed by lever 14,it being understood that weight 20 is sufficiently heavy to swing righthand end of lever 14 upwardly and collapse puppet 12 when same is freeto collapse. By this movement the port 16 is closed and port 18 opened,whereby outside air is admitted to interior of pneumatic 3 and sameexpanded. In this way pneumatic 3 is collapsed and expanded and sticker9 actuated repeatedly in accordance with perforations in music sheet.

The lever 14 is loosely mounted by the screw 15, so that it can adjustitself automatically to the ports 16 and 18. It isalso held in positionby being located in the groove 21. Said lever it may be adjusted andtightened and loosened by adjusting the screw 15. The various parts arereadily accessible with but little disassemblage of the structure.

It is understood that changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting.

from the spirit of the invention. WhatIclaim is: V

1. The combinationof a power pneumatic having one of its sides providedwith air and suction ports, a lever extended between said ports andpivoted between its ends, the

ends of said lever serving as valves for said ports, a projectlon on theend of the lever controlling the suction port and a hinged J pneumaticmounted opposite the projection on the lever but normally out of contactwith the same, said pneumatic being arranged so that when expanded itsswinging leaf will strike the end of said projection.

2. The combination of a power pneumatic having one of its sides providedwith air and suction ports, a lever extended from one of said ports .tothe other and pivoted between the same, the ends of said lever servingas valves for said ports, and pneugniatic means controlling said lever,said lever being arranged inside of said pneusaid pneumatic means beingoutside of said pneumatic, a wind chest in which said pneumatic means islocated, and a prong on one end of said lever extending through saidsuction port and cooperating with saidpneumatic means, said prong beingnormally out of contact with said pneumatic means but arranged to bestruck upon the operation of the same.

3. The combination of a power pneumatic having one of its sides providedwith air and suction ports, a lever extended from one of said ports tothe other and ivoted between the same, the ends of sai lever serving asvalves for said ports, and pneumatic means controlling said lever andacting upon one end of the same, the opposite end of said lever beingwe' hted, said pneumatic means being normalfy out of contact with andseparated from said lever and arranged to strike the same when actuated.

4. The combination of a ower pneumatic having one of its side walprovided with air and suction orts, a lever extending lengthwise of saidside wall between said ports and pivoted near its middle, the ends ofsaid lever being adapted to serve as valves for said ports, a wind chestat one end of said pneumatic, said wind chest having a wind chambercommunicating by said suction port with the interior of said pneumatic,a small pneumatic located in said wind chamber, and a projection on saidlever extending through said suction port and in position to contactwith said small pneumatic, but normally out. of contact with andseparated from the same.

5. The combination of a power pneumatic having onev of its side wallsprovided with air and suction ports, a lever extending lengthwise ofsaid side wall between said ports and pivoted near its middle, the endsof said lever being adapted to serve asvalves for said ports, a windchest at one end of said pneumatic, said wind chest having a windchamber communicating by said suction port with the interior of saidpneumatic, a small pneumatic located in said extending through saidsuction port and in position to contact with said small pneumatic, butnormally out of contact with'and separated from the same, and a trackerboard tube attached to said wind chest and 'communicating with saidsmall pneumatic.

6. The combination of a power pneumatic having one ofv its side wallsprovided with air and suction ports, a lever extending lengthwise ofsaid side wall between said ports and pivoted near its middle,'the endsof said lever being adapted to serve as valves for said ports, a windchest at one end of said pneumatic, said wind chest having a windchamber communicating by said suction port with the interior of saidpneumatic, a small pneumatic located in said wind chamber, a projectionon said lever extending through said suction port and in position tocontact with said small pneumatic, but normally out of contact with andseparated from the same:i and a tracker board tube attached to sai windchest and communicatin with said small pneumatic, the side wall a ongwhich said lever extends being provided with a groove to accommodatesaid lever, and the latter being pivoted 10 by an adjusting screw.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of August,A. D. 1919.

ADOLPH P. GUSTAFSON.

